hurting hearts

We have all been aching today for the family of little Maria Chapman, daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman, taken home to be with Jesus last night.
Join us as we lift up this family, because nothing else makes sense. They have given their lives in service to the King. They tirelessly work for the orphans of the world & give up much for the Gospel to go forth.
Jesus, surround them with your grace. Your love. Your peace.

What are we to do...

The international news had been pretty rough lately:

Cyclone in Myanmar with a death toll well over 130,000

Earthquakes in China predicting over 50,ooo lost

And in the midst of all of that we are reading devastating reports about Ethiopia, obviously close to our hearts: There are millions needing food! Just do a Google news search, it is out there.

An article we found this week hit especially close to us. We traveled through Shashemene when we picked up our sweeties just about a year and a half ago.

So what are we to do? We believe as Christians we are going to be held responsible for the wealth we have in America. Sure it is half way around the world. Yeah, there are too many things to fill our houses with. At the same time, we can help. Truly.

We signed up for a sponsorship of an adorable Ethiopian boy this week. We have been meaning to for some time. We hope to keep the malnutrition from changing his life. We hope to make it possible for him to stay with his family. After seeing the work of World Vision in Ethiopia first hand, we trust that they will be able to carry out the task.

how we make it through each day

Lately we've been laughing more, which is refreshing & healthy all at the same time. Our kids keep us chuckling if we make ourselves stay light. Yesterday, for instance, at dinner I had Maci tell about her day & she shared with the family how she had a royal fit (my words, not hers) at Kohl's. When they asked her why she was "cryin' & (s)creaming", she said "I want to buy someping really pretty" "I want to buy lip (s)tuff"...which was pretty hilarious; we were all stifling giggles.
The past few months I have been challenged with a "heavy" attitude. Something about going from three to five kids in the past year, & struggling with all the normal mom-type struggles just finally wore me down. Breaking my leg might have had something to do with it too, I guess. Anyway, I just found myself struggling to enjoy being a mom. I won't speak for Dave, but after Superman pulled us through the broken leg saga, he was weary too.
So as a mom who is still becoming what I need to be to guide five little beauties, I offer these answers for how I make it through the day.

+morning routine. on a normal day, my shower is done before I see any children. this also means I have had a moment of my own to breathe, pray, & wake up. Our big kids begin their mornings on their own, with their Fabulous Five (make bed, tidy floor, devotions, get dressed, bathroom stuff). The little bitties sleep in during this time (thank the Lord) or get to snuggle in my bed til I ask them to get up.

+laundry days. two or three days a week I make laundry a focus. the other days I let myself just not think about it, unless there is a special situation (puke, pee, etc).

+meal plan. I make myself have a list of meals that I have everything for. I attempt to start the meal before the school day ends. usually this happens.

+down time. I enjoy magazines, crafty design blogs, & sewing. I take some down time every afternoon; sitting down enjoying something I like to do. even if the big kids are home, they read for an hour in the afternoon to give everyone some quiet.

+severely limit screen time for kids. our kids are kids of this century. if they could pick they would watch TV, play PS2 & Webkinz all day long. but we have decided to encourage real play; hide & seek, army, obstacle courses, dolls, & legos are enjoyed by all our kids, and most of the time together. this actually does add work to our home. cleaning up after creativity is a big job. but we think it's worth it.

+early bedtime for kids. I don't think I need to elaborate on this one.

Oh, and sometimes, frankly, I don't really make it. It's more like I'm carried through the day. I end up running into my room or the kitchen avoiding everyone for a while. Or I scream & really lose it & get so humbled I think I'm gonna die. But then I realize again that dying to myself is really what it's about anyway. & I get up & try again.
It's a long road, but obedience always is.